Backpack shelter

ABSTRACT

A backpack with incorporated and separable instant tent, sleeping pad, and sleeping bag cover allows the user to carry supplies within an enclosed back pack, which when deployed, becomes a no-set-up lightweight, portable, compactible shelter. The user can enter said structure easily, close it behind him or herself, and access his or her sleeping system and gear within. It may be used by hikers, campers, hunters, fishermen, disaster relief victims, military personnel, emergency rescue workers or anyone in need of a personal, portable, quick access, no set up, combined shelter and gear carrying system which is lightweight, provides privacy, protection from the elements, and ease of use.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Applicants' prior provisional application, number [62/298,972], filed on [Feb. 23, 2016].

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to backpack-tent combinations and to portable, collapsible, freestanding shelters. It has certain specific applications to backpacking, camping, military uses, emergency relief services, and other related activities.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Portable, collapsible, lightweight shelters, such as tents, have been in use for many years. Similarly, backpacks and their like have also been employed as carrying devices for essential equipment and gear. In most cases, collapsible, lightweight shelters consist of tent poles which need to be folded or broken down in such a way as to be small enough to conveniently carry, with a separate fabric covering structure folded or rolled to be contained and carried. Backpacks are generally carried by means of two straps affixed in such a way so that the pack can be easily carried over the shoulders and often include a belt at the waist to balance the load across the hips.

Backpackers, hikers, mountaineers, hunters, and others engaged in outdoor activities have been known to carry all their equipment with them in or on a backpack, often having the essential outdoor survival components of tent, sleeping pad, and sleeping bag carried on the outside of the pack, affixed by ties or other connectors. This can be a cumbersome way to transport a shelter and/or gear and can make setting up a sleeping system in the dark or in inclement weather conditions difficult, inconvenient, dangerous, and potentially hazardous as in the case where the life-saving shelter and warming gear of an individual gets wet from being attached on the outside of the pack, as well as then having to access all the parts of the tent, unpack them, locate the poles and pole sleeves, insert poles, hammer in stakes, etc in order to erect a structure. After that, a person may be able to pull the backpack inside the shelter to access other essential equipment, but in the case of one person tents, often there is only enough room for the person, and not the pack. Many shelters that are intended to be used by a single individual are also not designed for comfort or ease of movement, or provide the individual with enough space to sit up fully.

In addition to use by hikers, campers, hunters, and their like, portable, collapsible, lightweight shelters are required in situations where the need for an instant shelter which can also accommodate an individual's sleeping equipment and other necessities is paramount to survival. Victims of catastrophes, emergencies, and climactic, economic, or social disasters often need temporary shelters which provide relief, protection from the environment, and some degree of privacy. Military personnel who are on the move and need an instant shelter can also benefit from a combined backpack/tent structure that can provide shelter in a trice and can encompass necessary gear. Similarly, individuals who live in geographic areas where mosquito-borne illnesses proliferate can benefit from sleeping within tent-like structures which incorporate mesh netting.

There have been previous attempts to address the need for a combination backpack and tent, as in Rowe U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,349, which utilizes the backpack frame as the support for one end of a tent, Velazquez U.S. Pat. No. 3,971,495, in which a “telescopic tubular frame pulls apart to form the support for the bed in the extended mode and nests together to form a pack frame, in the folded mode”, and Smith et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,931,918, in which the backpack frame forms part of the tent structure. Some combinations make use of a backpack frame to create a cot that can then be covered by a tent, as in Howard U.S. Pat. No. 4,914,768A, however that concept seems to require a lot of set up and restructuring. In Robichaud, U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,649, a compactible shelter that can be erected instantly is conceived of which can be carried in the manner of a backpack, with other necessities attached to the outside of the compactible shelter. In this instance, the rigid, rectangular shape of the frame may make carrying the structure awkward or uncomfortable over long distances. While these inventions do serve to address the need to have a combined backpack/tent, many of them are complex and unwieldy.

It is consequently preferable to have a collapsible shelter which can be carried or transported easily and can be erected instantly upon opening; is lightweight, easy to use, does not need to be disassembled and reassembled into component parts, is easy to manufacture, and can contain and carry essential gear. It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide an improved combination backpack and instant tent which can shelter an individual in the simplest possible way, provide comfort and privacy, and have room for carrying indispensable equipment.

It is another object of this invention to provide a weatherproof, collapsible structure which can be erected instantly, with no set up, and no modification of the backpack frame.

It is another object of this invention to provide a no set up shelter which has a sleeping system available instantly upon opening and which also provides immediate access to the contents therein.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a no set up shelter that can accommodate an individual in a sitting position, as well as allow room to lie fully extended.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a shelter system with single unit poles of the same size which are flexible and easily replaceable if need be and uses materials that are readily available.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, easily fabricated and assembled, backpack with a separable but incorporated no set up portable shelter which can be used effectively for a variety of different purposes and which can easily be stored and transported.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A backpack tent combination provides a backpack coupled with a portable, foldable shelter comprised of a series of u-shaped staves enclosed within structured fabric sleeve elements connected by a fabric covering on the top, or “tent” portion, and conjoined with a waterproof, padded “floor”, or tent bottom, at a section of fabric wall along the entire perimeter of the structure. The floor, or tent bottom, also comprises the two halves of the backpack that are folded and unfolded in the manner of a clamshell.

The u-shaped staves connect on either side of the tent structure to a central hub on either side. The circular hubs are molded or folded into a 90 degree angle across the diameter and serve to join the u-shaped staves to a connecting panel. The semi-rigid, flat connecting panel serves to keep the stave hubs at a constant distance to provide tension to the u-shaped staves in such a way as to maintain the structural integrity of the arced staves.

The tent structure attaches to the backpack both along the bottom of the backpack, uniting with the upper face of the hub connecting panel, and along the outside of both sides of the zippered halves of the backpack by means of Velcro type hook and loop closure. The clamshell shape of the backpack when folded allows the tent to be compactible along a plane, and when opened, to provide the base structure for the half-dome shape of the fully opened tent. A zippered opening is incorporated into one of the tent panels to allow ease of access in and out of the tent structure without disrupting the tent/pack connection.

The interior of the backpack/tent shelter has a several inch high fabric wall around the entire perimeter of the floor which serves as both the base and attachment point of the tent structure on the outside and also provides structure for the internal volume of the backpack when folded and zipped around it's perimeter. The interior top of the fabric wall has a fabric sleeping bag cover attached around the inside perimeter of the upper edge of the fabric wall, excepting one arced portion where a person would rest their head, so that a person can insert a sleeping bag, blanket, or other personal covering under this sleeping bag cover. This feature both provides some structure to the pack when folded and allows the user to access their sleeping system immediately upon opening the shelter, without having to unfurl a sleeping pad, sleeping bag, blanket, or other preferred personal system for keeping warm.

The padded “floor” part of the foldable shelter structure, when folded, also serves as the outer covering for the backpack carrying structure for containing personal items and a sleeping system within. The entire unit can be carried upon a person's back in the manner of a backpack, or in any number of configurations, i.e., over one shoulder, with handles, etc. using the various shoulder straps and d-rings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates an individual wearing the device

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the backpack demonstrating the use of shoulder straps in a configuration to be carried on the back

FIG. 3 illustrates the deployment of the shelter when the pack is set upon the ground

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the pack open with the shelter deployed and the flexible fabric element fully stretched over the tent stave supporting structure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a skeletal view of the tent staves and the means by which they are connected to the hub members and the hub connecting panel without the structured fabric stave sleeves and panels.

FIG. 6 demonstrates a view of the interior side of the hub connecting panel

FIG. 7 demonstrates a view of the exterior side of the hub connecting panel

FIG. 8 illustrates the pole connected to a hardware unit which enables the stave to be fastened to the hub member

FIG. 9 illustrates a side view of the pole stave and hardware connector fastened to the hub member by means of a nut and bolt.

FIG. 10 illustrates an interior view of the tent structure including an abbreviated view of the hub member, hub connecting panel, structures tent staves as sewn with tent panels, and hook and loop edge for connecting tent to backpack.

FIG. 11 illustrates pack open and lying flat

FIG. 12 illustrates pack open and lying flat with a view of the sleeping bag cover

FIG. 13 illustrates the outer tent pole cover

FIG. 14 illustrates the separable tent structure when in the folded, or tent closed, position

FIG. 15 illustrates the backpack when zipped and separated from the tent structure

FIG. 16 illustrates the bottom of the outside of the backpack

DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Numerous specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. In most cases, a flexible fabric cover which forms some of the tent panels could be constructed of nylon water-resistant material, or a pliable, waterproof membrane such as gore tex. There are also several types of mesh netting, but the specific type used in tents and other insect protection devices is generally extremely lightweight with holes of such a size that a tiny insect could not easily pass through. Similarly, tent poles or staves are generally constructed of aluminum, fiberglass, or other plastic or polymer material. The prototypical embodiment of this invention can use both carbon fiber of fiberglass, but is not limited to those alone. Additionally, the hub connecting member can be made of molded plastic or any other rigid material that can allow for holes to be created to accept the connecting hardware. These are some of the materials used in the preferred embodiment, however, the invention may be practiced according to the claims without some or all of these specific details.

FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of a preferred embodiment when the tent structure is in a collapsed, folded form attached to the backpack and the backpack is in a closed and cinched position 10. The user has the carrying straps 24 configured to tote the device in the manner of a traditional backpack, with weight adjustment straps 14 and 15 creating a balanced load upon the back. A waist adjustment (not shown) may also be used. If necessary the straps could be configured in other ways, for example, to carry the device over a shoulder, across the chest, or by means of handles on the side. D-rings 16 are strategically placed on the outside of the pack to accommodate different configurations. The unitized tent structure, including poles, flexible fabric cover, hub members, hub connecting panel, etc. is attached to the outside and around the upright perimeter of the pack, and is covered by a strip of waterproof, flexible fabric cover 13, which is slightly wider than the width of the backpack when in closed position and attached to the backpack. The tent pole cover is pulled over the tent structure when the pack is in closed position. It cinches around the edge of tent structure by a length of elastic or drawstring encased in the outside edge of the cover. Strategically placed ties 81 are used to keep the tent cover in place.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, when the device is freestanding and not worn by the user. It demonstrates the straps 24 in a configuration as a backpack carrying mechanism, with weight adjustment straps 14 connected at the top of the pack and straps connected by buckles 20 into D rings 16, with other D-rings 16 not in use. The tent cover 13 is in use and cinched by ties 81 to keep the structure of the entire unit tight and contained.

FIG. 3 illustrates the essential opening mechanism 30 of the no set-up tent, wherein once the tent cover ties 81 are unfastened, the tent cover 13 peeled back, the two halves of the backpack zipper separated (as shown in opened form 68 in FIGS. 11 and 12 and zipped form 68 in FIGS. 15 and 16), and the backpack is set vertically upon the ground or sleeping area, the forces of gravity serve to pull down the opposing ends of the structure and let it rest flat upon the ground. The shelter can also be opened when the backpack is at rest upon its strap side or non-strap side by simply pulling the facing side open away from the ground and over, allowing the formerly upward facing side to then rest upon the ground. The fan like arrangement of the tent staves 42 combined with their ability to move rotationally from the hub connecting member (50 as shown in FIG. 7), held within the construct of the fabric body 32, 33, 34, 35, and connected to the backpack shell/tent floor 37, enable the shelter to self-erect. Generally, contents inside the backpack/tent, and the weight of the user when inside, keep the shelter from needing to be staked or held down from outside the tent. The tent staves 42 are enclosed within pole sleeves on the inside of the tent structure and connected at hubs on either side of the tent, which are covered by a flexible fabric member 41 which is part of the tent. The hub connecting panel 60, attached to the bottom of the backpack, is resting upon the ground and provides the structural tension to keep the tent staves in their arced shape. When the device is fully open in tent mode and is resting upon the ground, the user will be able to enter the shelter by means of a zipper 33 installed in one of the water-resistant tent panels. A detachable rainfly 32 is affixed over two mesh tent panels and attaches by means of lightweight hook and loop closure along the length of both edges of the rainfly.

FIG. 4 illustrates the device when it is deployed in shelter mode, with a person lying at rest inside and under the attached sleeping bag cover 45. The outer shell of the backpack 10 is resting upon the ground with the backpack straps 24 under the side of the device where the feet rest when lying down. The tent is comprised of five tent staves 42 enclosed within tent pole sleeves 43 which help form the structure of the tent. The flexible fabric cover which makes up the body of the tent and serves to keep the tent staves in their uniform arrangement so that they maintain their proper distance when the shelter is erected, is comprised of six panels. Two narrow panels 35 of flexible fabric are arranged at the bottom of the tent structure, which connects to a supporting wall of the floor and backpack, The narrow panels 35 have the hook or loop side of a hook and loop closure affixed along the edge of the inside perimeter of these panels in order for the shelter structure to connect to the backpack structure, as can be seen in FIG. 10. Two water resistant tent panels 33 and 34 are affixed along the upper edge of the narrow tent panels and connected to the tent pole sleeves on either side. One panel 33 accommodates an entry zipper 46, so that the user of the device may enter and exit the shelter without having to disrupt the tent/backpack connection. Two other tent panels 44 are attached along the edge of the waterresistant panels 33 and 34 and pole sleeve structure preferably constructed of mesh netting effectively allowing thermal regulation in warmer weather while keeping out mosquitoes, insects and pests. A waterresistant rainfly 32, as shown in FIG. 3, is connected by means of hook and loop closures 47 and 48 along the edges of panels 33 and 34 and extending down to the halfmoon shaped flexible fabric tent panel 41, thereby making a weatherproof shelter. The rainfly 32 as shown in FIG. 3 and extending across the mesh netting panels 44 can be peeled back fully or incrementally to allow for variable ventilation.

FIG. 5 illustrates the skeletal tent pole structure, with the tent staves 54 attaching to the hub connecting members 50 on either side of a hub connecting panel 60, which affixes to the bottom of the backpack by means of hook and loop closure 62. The tent staves can move rotationally about the axis of each stave connection 52 to the hub connecting member 50. The tent pole staves are connected to the hub member in such a way as to allow a fan-like movement. This allows the shelter to “fold” so that all five arced stave members can join in a plane, as seen in a standing plane in FIG. 14. When the shelter is opened, the specific measurements of the fabric cover which forms the embodiment of both the tent and backpack keep the staves in a proper fixed relationship to one another so that the shelter maintains structural integrity.

FIG. 6 shows an expanded view of the interior of the hub connecting member 50 with the tent pole staves 54 attached to the outside of the hub connecting member by means of a bolt (55 as shown in FIG. 7) and nut 52 on the interior through receiving holes. The hub connecting panel (60 as shown in FIG. 5) is attached by means of Chicago screws or other hardware at receiving holes 56.

FIG. 7 illustrates an expanded view of the outer side of the hub connecting member 50 with tent pole staves 54 inserted into a unit of receiving hardware 63 which has a tube-like structure on one end that the tent pole stave 54 is inserted into and an open circle on the other end which can receive a bolt 55. The bolt 55 is inserted through the open circle of the terminal 63 and through the receiving hole in the connecting hub, then fixed in place by means of tightening the nut (57 as seen in FIG. 9) on the interior of the hub connecting unit.

FIG. 8 illustrates the hardware terminal 63, which can allow a nut and bolt or other fastener on one end 55, and the insertion of the tent pole stave on the other end 54.

FIG. 9 illustrates a side view of the connecting hub 50 which can be made with molded plastic or other rigid material, with the hardware terminal 63 with tent pole stave inserted 54 and nut 57 and bolt 55 affixed therein.

FIG. 10 illustrates an abbreviated interior view of the hub connecting member 50, with the hub connecting panel 60 affixed to the horizontal plane of the hub connecting unit 50 at the receiving holes 58 by means of Chicago screws or other hardware. The hub connecting panel 60 has a strip of the hook or loop side of hook and loop closure 62 which affixes to the bottom of the backpack structure by means of the other section of hook or loop closure (90 as seen in FIG. 16). The pole sleeves 42 containing the tent pole staves are affixed to the hub connecting member 50 through receiving holes 52 by means of nuts and bolts or other suitable hardware. The skeletal form of the shelter structure is not visible as it is fully encased within the flexible fabric member. The interior view demonstrates the six tent panels (four of water-resistant material 35, 35, 33, and 34, and two of mesh netting 44 and 44) affixed to the tent pole sleeves 42 covering and connected at the radially formed fabric panel 41 which allows the tent pole stave to thread through. A strip of the hook side of a hook and loop closure 64 is affixed around the perimeter of the interior lower edge of the tent structure, which connects to the partner loop closure on the outside perimeter of the backpack structure (66 as seen in FIGS. 11 and 12). The zipper for ingress and egress of the shelter can be seen in the fabric panel 46.

FIG. 11 illustrates the backpack when in a fully open position, with the backpack straps 24 tucked under the outside of the backpack/tent floor 70. A zipper 68 is fastened along the perimeter of the upper edge of the fabric wall 71 which connects the two sides of the clamshell function of the backpack to secure the necessary contents being carried within. A strip of loop side of a hook and loop closure 66 is adhered to the upper edge of the fabric wall 71 along the outside perimeter of the backpack, which connects to the hook side on the interior of the tent structure (64 in FIG. 10).

FIG. 12 illustrates the backpack when in a fully open position and lying flat, with the backpack clamshell zipper 68 around the upper perimeter of the fabric wall 71 and the loop side of the hook and loop closure 66 which connects to the tent embodiment around the outer perimeter of the fabric wall 71 and lying below the backpack clamshell zipper 68. This illustration demonstrates the fabric sleeping bag cover 73 connected to the upper perimeter of the inside edge of the fabric wall 71 by means of a zipper 72 around the edge of the sleeping bag cover. The sleeping bag cover allows the user to access the sleeping system immediately upon entering the shelter without having to unfurl a sleeping bag, blanket, or other warming device, provides some structure to the backpack when folded and zipped, and keeps the sleeping bag dry and free from debris when other essential items are place on top of the sleeping bag cover.

FIG. 13 shows another view of the device when in backpack carrying mode, with the tent pole cover cinched around the shelter structure 83, ties cinched around the unit 81, backpack straps 24 with weight adjuster 14, and an optional flap pocket 82 which provides quick access to small items.

FIG. 14 illustrates the unitized tent portion of the backpack shelter when folded on a plane and separated from the backpack portion of the shelter structure. The tent pole staves encased within the tent pole sleeves and flexible fabric tent member are gathered in an upright position while connected to the hub member and hub connecting panel. The interior of the hub connecting member 50 is visible, along with the hub connecting panel 60 and the hook and loop closure for connecting to the bottom of the backpack 62. The loop side of the hook and loop closure which connects the tent structure to the backpack structure 86 is visible along the edge of the interior of the tent structure. When separated from the backpack, the unitized shelter structure can be held in this position with one of the carrying straps 80.

FIG. 15 demonstrates a view of the backpack portion of the device when in a closed and zipped formation and separated from the tent portion of the device. The backpack straps 24, weight adjustment straps 14 and several D-ring connectors 20, are visible, along with the peeled back tent shelter covering structure 13. The backpack has a strip of loop side of hook and loop closure 66 lying along both sides of the clamshell zipper 68. The loop side 66 conjoins to the hook side which is affixed around the inside perimeter of the tent structure (86 in FIG. 14) when the components are united, however, the backpack has other applications when separated from the unitized tent structure, i.e. as a safety or landing pad for climbers.

FIG. 16 illustrates the section of hook and loop closure 90 along the bottom of the backpack which connects to the hook and loop closure on the hub connecting panel 60 to help keep the device together.

The disclosed embodiments are illustrative, not restrictive. While specific configurations of the backpack with incorporated tent, sleeping pad, and sleeping bag cover have been described, it is understood that the present invention can be applied to a wide variety of applications. There are many alternative ways of implementing the invention. The aforementioned is a detailed description of exemplary embodiments to illustrate the principles of the invention. The embodiments are provided to illustrate aspects of the invention, but the alternatives, modifications and equivalents are limited only by the claims. 

I claim:
 1. A combination tent and backpack comprising: a series of u-shaped tent pole staves of a tent structure enclosed within structured fabric sleeve elements connected by a flexible fabric covering on the top, or “tent” portion, and conjoined with a waterproof, padded “floor”, or tent bottom, at a section of fabric wall along the entire perimeter of the structure, which folds to become a backpack. The backpack and tent portions are conjoined but separable.
 2. The combination tent and backpack of claim 1 in which the tent frame connecting means comprises two central hub members on either side of a tent body wherein the u-shaped staves connect by means of fasteners on a perpendicular plane to uphold the tent staves, and on the horizontal plane wherein the two hubs are connected by a semi-rigid panel to keep the staves at a constant distance to maintain the structural integrity of the arced staves and shelter structure.
 3. The combination tent and backpack of claim 1 wherein u-shaped staves are connected to the hub members in such a way as to be radially moveable in a fanlike manner which allows the shelter to open to a half dome structure and close to a compactible plane.
 4. The combination tent and backpack of claim 1 also comprising a padded floor pack envelope having a top layer, constituting the interior tent floor when opened, and waterproof bottom layer which comprises the outside of the backpack when closed, as well as the tent bottom when opened, and having a padded membrane encased between the sections.
 5. The combination tent and backpack of claim 1 wherein the padded floor pack envelope of claim 4 is affixed to a several inch high structured fabric wall along the entire perimeter of the floor pack envelope which provides a means for attaching the bottom of the tent portion of the shelter structure to the floor portion of the shelter, as well as providing the volume space of the backpack when the pack is folded in the manner of a clamshell and the two halves are fastened together.
 6. The combination tent and backpack of claim 1 in which the backpack portion of the structure, which is comprised of the afore mentioned floor pack envelope, connecting wall, and carrying straps is functional and separable from the tent portion of the structure.
 7. The combination tent and backpack of claim 1 in which carrying straps can be configured in a variety of ways by means of connecting hooks and other connector receiving devices strategically placed on the outside of the backpack. 